Prior interest has centered on water-soluble alkyl sulfonates and sulfonamides having relatively short alkyl hydrocarbon (12-20 carbon) chains for their detergency properties in aqueous solutions. The starting sulfonic acids were prepared by the sulfonation of alkyl hydrocarbons or alcohols. For use with petroleum hydrocarbon fractions, mainly lubricating oil fractions, there has been some interest in oil-soluble guanidine salts of alkylsulfonic acids whose alkyl-substituent has a molecular weight in the range of about 200 to about 980, i.e. the alkyl substituent contains 14 to 70 carbon atoms. The use of such guanidine salts are described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,660,562. Briefly, that disclosure teaches that guanidine alkylsulfonates are oil-soluble gelling agents for grease preparation when the alkyl-substituent has from 14 to 24 carbon atoms, anti-rust agents when the alkyl-substituent contains 24 to 40 carbon atoms and detergency agents when the alkyl-substituent contains 40 to 70 carbon atoms.
However, at the time such guanidine alkylsulfonates were disclosed (1951) the severity requirements imposed by in-service use for crankcase lubricating oils was much less than the in-service use severity requirements of gasoline and diesel engines presently in use and under test for near future use with their anti-pollution devices. The guanidine alkylsulfonates which have alkyl radicals of 40 to 70 carbons (i.e. 560-980 MW) do not have a thermally stable structure and would not meet the present day higher in-service use severity requirements for crankcase lubricating oils.
Previously available alkaline earth metal alkylsulfonates have not, in general, been suitably acceptable anti-wear agents for crankcase lubricating oils and emphasis for that anti-wear function has been placed on oil-soluble calcium and magnesium alkylbenzene sulfonates and their over-based derivatives which also contributed anti-corrosion properties.
It has now been discovered that a sulfonic acid and sulfonyl chloride derived from liquid viscous to solid polymers of propene and butenes and copolymers of C.sub.2 to C.sub.6 unsaturated hydrocarbons having an average molecular weight in the range of 300 to 200,000 can be readily converted to the respective alkaline earth metal sulfonates or sulfonamides which are useful addition agents for hydrocarbon (gasoline, diesel and heating) fuels and lubricating oils because of their anti-deposition, detergency and viscosity improving (hydrocarbon portion has molecular weight above about 10,000) properties. Such metal sulfonates and sulfonamides are multi-functional. The sulfonic acid and sulfonyl chloride derivatives of such 300 to 200,000 average molecular weight hydrocarbon polymers are unique in and of themselves as are their preparation by the reaction of such hydrocarbon polymers with chlorosulfonic acid.